Galley (Kitchen) Shipmate Anthracite burn questions

Post Reply
 
Redbopeep
Member
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed. Oct. 04, 2017 5:47 pm
Baseburners & Antiques: Antique Shipmate 134 Marine coal and wood
Coal Size/Type: nut size

Post by Redbopeep » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 5:30 pm

I have an antique Shipmate galley stove with a firebox lined with firebricks so the inside dimensions are about 7" tall x 6" wide by 17" front to back. This is a wood and coal burning cooking stove. I've burned hardwoods in it successfully for years and pea-sized blacksmithing coal as well. I've cooked and baked with it and love to do so in the colder months. The pea-sized blacksmithing coal is too small for the grate but has been the only coal I've been able to get until recently. I'm now checking out Anthracite coal with a couple bags of Blaschak nut size and an order for 1T of Anthracite via @LehighanthraciteMatt.

While I had no problem getting the nut-sized Anthracite coal started and it does burn, it's going very slowly and without the blue flame I'm used to seeing -- just red-hot coals at the bottom of the layer of coal. Surprisingly, I can't get it to burn hotter/faster by giving it more air. It seems to burn at the rate it wants to burn -- no hotter no matter what I do with the stove's dampers and air vents on the ash door. I'm used to managing the coal fire's heat and rate by opening or closing the air vents on the ash door and with use of the manual damper in the stove pipe. Of course, I can get a 12-hour burn out of my little firebox and that's nice, but I'd also like to get more heat when I want it!

What am I missing? I've got about a 3" to 4" bed of coals. I can make it deeper to a depth of about, say, 5" but can't really think that's the problem. At the low level it is burning, I will have to remove the firebrick between the firebox and the oven in order to get more than 200F temperature in the oven. While I AM using the stove for heat, I'd like to also use it for cooking and this rate just isn't doing it for me.

I start the stove from the end near the firebox door (using a bit of hardwood and the blacksmithing coal) and then the fire slowly burns along the bottom of the bed of coal towards the back of the firebox as it also burns up to the top of the layer towards the front of the firebox, etc. This is a slow process of course.

Please advise? Thanks so much!
Last edited by Redbopeep on Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30293
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 5:55 pm

Pix R, we gotta have pix.

 
User avatar
Pauliewog
Member
Posts: 1824
Joined: Mon. Dec. 02, 2013 12:15 am
Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska 140 Dual Paddle Feed
Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 6:27 pm

Like FF said we need pictures.
Anthracite coal likes a deep bed. I would start by filling the firepot up to the top of the firebrick and heap it up in the middle.

Paulie

 
User avatar
Sunny Boy
Member
Posts: 25559
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 7:14 pm

What your "missing" is the top half of the firebed. That part that helps build a draft that feeds air to the bottom half to keep it burning well.

Those firebox dimensions you gave are the same size as my Glenwood range. If I only half fill it, it won't burn well. Build up a firebed that fills it to the top of the firebox linings with nut coal and it burns very well.

Paul

 
Redbopeep
Member
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed. Oct. 04, 2017 5:47 pm
Baseburners & Antiques: Antique Shipmate 134 Marine coal and wood
Coal Size/Type: nut size

Post by Redbopeep » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 8:20 pm

Well now that I've gone and said "no blue flames" the stove is starting to behave itself and give me a full fire and blue flames again. I did also bring the bed of coal up to the top of the firebricks (6"). Now let's just see the oven temp rise so I don't have to take the firebrick out between the box and the oven.

Pics? Well it's a little hard to take pics in the boat because everything is close range. But here are a few.

The stove with wood fire a previous season
Image

This afternoon
Image

Looking through the fire door, before filling all the way up to the top of the firebricks.
Image

Looking down through the left front stove burner/eye today after it started burning blue
Image

Video though the same stove burner/eye today after the burn improved.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/77308492@N00/ZP9260


 
User avatar
Pauliewog
Member
Posts: 1824
Joined: Mon. Dec. 02, 2013 12:15 am
Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska 140 Dual Paddle Feed
Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 8:41 pm

Nice, It looks like it could still use another shovel or two !

Paulie

 
Redbopeep
Member
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed. Oct. 04, 2017 5:47 pm
Baseburners & Antiques: Antique Shipmate 134 Marine coal and wood
Coal Size/Type: nut size

Post by Redbopeep » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 9:00 pm

I haven't put in the little steel barrier that prevents the coal from jamming up the fire door -- so have to keep that front bit angled back so the door can be opened. Otherwise, have to do everything from the top via the stove eyes.
Pauliewog wrote:
Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 8:41 pm
Nice, It looks like it could still use another shovel or two !

Paulie

 
Redbopeep
Member
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed. Oct. 04, 2017 5:47 pm
Baseburners & Antiques: Antique Shipmate 134 Marine coal and wood
Coal Size/Type: nut size

Post by Redbopeep » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 9:02 pm

That's interesting that it's about the same as a Glenwood range. Which range? This is a huge stove for a boat -- it has 6 burners and an oven big enough for a big chicken or roast but not big enough for a turkey. No warming shelves on any fancy bits on top either.
Sunny Boy wrote:
Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 7:14 pm
What your "missing" is the top half of the firebed. That part that helps build a draft that feeds air to the bottom half to keep it burning well.

Those firebox dimensions you gave are the same size as my Glenwood range. If I only half fill it, it won't burn well. Build up a firebed that fills it to the top of the firebox linings with nut coal and it burns very well.

Paul

 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30293
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 9:07 pm

Looks good R. I wouldn't get all anal about those blue lady's dancing. Cute, but not a necessity for a good bed of coal. Nice stove by the way!

 
User avatar
Sunny Boy
Member
Posts: 25559
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Mon. Dec. 04, 2017 7:00 am

The range is a 1903 Sunny Glenwood. It's one of the smaller models of their line - 18 x 18 oven.

6 round covers, yeah, that's a good size for a boat. Sail, or power ? Hull length ?

My bother's first sailboat - a Casey built Yawl- originally had a coal stove, but it was smaller. The previous owner was no longer sailing northern waters so he replaced with an alcohol stove to make getting cooking fuel easier. My brother got tired of waiting for it to heat water so he put in a kerosene stove.

But the built-in coal bin behind and under the stove was still there, as was the deck plate to fill it. And the "Charley Nobel" chimney thimble was still in the cabin top.

With all that iron and coal it must have also had a bit of list to Port. :D

Paul


 
User avatar
Sunny Boy
Member
Posts: 25559
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Mon. Dec. 04, 2017 7:24 am

You can get the firebed going sooner if you build your wood/charcoal fire over the entire length of the grates. Get that burning hot and then add coal on top of that. Then you don't have to wait for it to light from one end to the other. The entire firebed lights at the same time.

Coal ranges, laundry stoves are not really meant to load coal through the loading door. The loading door is more for wood use because of it being longer pieces that don't load easily through the cooktop.

For coal, leave the door blocked off (there was often a firebrick, or cast iron plate for that) and just put the coal in through the two round covers above the firebox. That way you can get an even, and maximum depth to the firebed so that it maintains a good fire over it's entire length. Then it will put out the maximum heat volume.

Paul

 
Redbopeep
Member
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed. Oct. 04, 2017 5:47 pm
Baseburners & Antiques: Antique Shipmate 134 Marine coal and wood
Coal Size/Type: nut size

Post by Redbopeep » Fri. Dec. 08, 2017 3:37 pm

Thanks Paul for the information. Yes, it is a big stove for a boat. The original stove was the same size and number of burners but made by a European company (according to the original owner's family) and included a summer setting allowing propane (e.g. Shipmate gas) to be used in place of the solid fuels used the rest of the year. That European stove was removed in the 1980's by the previous owner to us (or the previous to him in the 1970's, we can never figure it out as we've talked to both of those fellows and they point at one another) but we located a 6 burner antique Shipmate that had been on a tugboat and it was the same physical dimensions. Unfortunately, to keep the 36" clear from overhead (required by ABYC -- a code for boat building) we could not also keep the coal chute that came from behind the stove and allowed coal to be under the stove. There's a bit of boat hull in the way. Still room for coal behind the stove but no way to get that chute in place. With the area behind the stove so inaccessible, we will likely put a water tank there instead of coal bin at some point. https://blog.mahdee.com/2006/12/31/cookbooks-the- ... e-hunting/ is a drawing of what the original galley was like with the European stove.

 
User avatar
Sunny Boy
Member
Posts: 25559
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Sat. Dec. 09, 2017 11:43 am

That's the same galley layout of my Brother's yawl - except for the upper ice box.

The space for the lower half of the Shipmate was made into storage when it was removed and a gimbaled, smaller alcohol stove was installed. The Kero stove he replaced it with was about the same size so he was able to keep that extra storage space. Can't remember what he did with the coal bin area.

I wonder if there's a way to contract a coal shute to reduce the 36 inch rule enough that it would allow loading through the deck and more coal storage again ? I know that using a combination rockwool and sheet metal heat shield allows me to get my range closer to kitchen wall. And modern self cleaning ovens, which can get over 700F, are designed to be installed with zero clearance. Does the ABYC make any such allowances for reducing the clearance to combustibles like the National Fire Codes ?

Paul

 
Redbopeep
Member
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed. Oct. 04, 2017 5:47 pm
Baseburners & Antiques: Antique Shipmate 134 Marine coal and wood
Coal Size/Type: nut size

Post by Redbopeep » Sun. Dec. 10, 2017 10:17 am

It's overhead clearance of 36" and we won't change the lovely finishes of the ceiling to accommodate a shield. There's a butterfly hatch above the stove as well. The walls have metal shields which are insulated and offset from the walls so side clearances are mere inches.

The outside fill on a coal chute is nice but we realize every hatch is an opportunity for the ocean to make its way into the boat. Though I feel like Cinderella covered in smudges sometimes, it is no big deal to carry coal into the boat and from storage spot in the forecastle to the stove little by little.

We have a narrow island in the middle (where the linked drawing shows a wall and drop table/bench) and a Taylor Kerosene stove with oven resides there for summer use.

Post Reply

Return to “Antiques, Baseburners, Kitchen Stoves, Restorations & Modern Reproductions”